Business
Levi Strauss raises prices, helping to boost profit and outlook
Levi Strauss‘s profits are growing more than Wall Street expected despite higher costs from tariffs, thanks to targeted price increases and a shift away from wholesalers, the company said Thursday as it reported fiscal third quarter results.
During the quarter, Levi’s gross margin grew 1.1 percentage points to 61.7%, up from 60.6% in the year-ago period and better than the 60.7% analysts had expected, according to StreetAccount.
In an interview with CNBC, CEO Michelle Gass said the company has started to raise the price of some of its jeans and clothes and will hike more prices in the U.S. and other markets next year.
“As we’ve been taking these targeted actions, we’ve not seen an impact to demand. We’ll of course, stay very, very close to that but … we’re taking a surgical, thoughtful approach on any pricing,” said Gass. “We know that we’re a brand that is known for great quality and value. We don’t take that for granted. We know we have to earn that every day.”
Finance chief Harmit Singh added demand is “really strong” and most of the company’s revenue growth is not coming from price increases.
Price hikes are helping Levi’s margins, but the company is also discounting less and selling more through its own website and stores instead of wholesalers, which comes at a higher margin.
The denim maker said its strong results led it to raise its full-year outlook, but added it’s still taking a “prudent” and “conservative” look at the rest of the year as it navigates ongoing macroeconomic volatility, Singh said.
Here’s how Levi’s performed during the quarter compared with what Wall Street was anticipating, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:
- Earnings per share: 34 cents adjusted vs. 31 cents expected
- Revenue: $1.54 billion vs. $1.50 billion expected
Though Levi’s posted better-than-expected results, shares dropped more than 6% in extended trading. Its stock had climbed about 42% this year through Thursday’s close.
The company’s reported net income for the three-month period that ended Aug. 31 was $218 million, or 55 cents per share, compared with $20.7 million, or 5 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding one-time items related to impairment and restructuring charges, among other expenses, Levi posted adjusted earnings of 34 cents per share.
Sales rose to $1.54 billion, up 7% from $1.44 billion a year earlier.
Levi’s is now expecting its full year sales to rise 3%, up from its prior guidance of between 1% and 2% growth, far exceeding expectations of a 2.9% decline, according to LSEG.
It’s expecting its full year adjusted earnings per share to be between $1.27 and $1.32, up from a prior range of between $1.25 and $1.30. At the high end, the outlook is in line with Wall Street estimates of $1.31 per share, according to LSEG.
The jeans company said it’s expecting its operating margin to be between 11.4% and 11.6%, which is also in line with expectations of 11.6%, according to StreetAccount. It’s now expecting its gross margin to rise by 1 percentage point, which is the outlook Levi’s delivered earlier this year before it factored tariffs into its forecast. At the time, its guidance didn’t reflect any tariff impact. The following quarter, it cut its gross margin guidance by 0.2 percentage points because of the new duties.
Now, Levi’s is returning to that original outlook, as long as U.S. tariffs on imports from China remain at 30% and rest-of-world duties stay at 20% for the remainder of the year.
Under the direction of Gass, Levi’s has been working to grow its direct sales, expand beyond jeans and win over more female shoppers – strategies that helped the business grow both its top and bottom lines.
During the quarter, direct-to-consumer revenue, or sales from Levi’s website and stores, grew 11%, driven by strength in the U.S. market, while women’s was up 9%. Levi’s is benefiting from strong momentum in the denim category, but the company is growing its assortment outside of just jeans, which gives it a hedge if fashion trends change.
Other types of clothes beyond denim bottoms, including tops, now make up nearly 40% of the business. The company’s efforts to sell more tops is also resonating with consumers, as that category was up 9% during the quarter.
NEW DELHI: People with job cards assigned under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Guarantee Scheme will be able to get work without disruption when transition takes place to new rural employment framework under Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act.Even though exact timeframe is not known yet, rural development ministry officials said the VB-G RAM G scheme will come into force in the coming financial year after the Centre frames and notifies the rules. After govt notifies the Act’s commencement date, states will get six months to make their schemes to enable implementation of the law.To ensure there is no disruption and job guarantee is upheld during transition from MGNREGA, it has been proposed to enable workers to use the same job cards issued under MGNREGA with Aadhaar-based eKYC.The officials said that as of now, around 75% of job cards have been verified with eKYC under the ongoing scheme. Moreover, ongoing projects under MGNREGA, if incomplete when the transition happens to the new scheme, would stay on course.Meanwhile, work is on to frame rules, lay out regulations on normative allocations, fund flow plan, IT framework, a national-level steering panel and social audits.Under the new law, focus will be on transparency to weed out leakages and duplicacy of work,the social audit system will be strengthened, and technology leveraged to create systems to establish work progress, timely wage payment and accountability through ‘e-measurement’ books, sources said. Demand for work will have to be entered on a digital platform. Officials made it clear the new law in no way interferes with demand-driven character of the scheme.
Business
Gurugram Attracts Rs 86,588 Crore In Real Estate Investments In 2025 As RERA Clears 131 Projects
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Alongside rising investments, Gurugram RERA strengthened regulatory oversight to safeguard homebuyer and investor interests
Gurgaon Real Estate (Representative Image)
Gurugram emerged as one of India’s top real estate investment destinations in 2025, with projects worth Rs 86,588 crore receiving regulatory approvals during the year, according to data from the Gurugram Real Estate Regulatory Authority (Gurugram RERA).
Market observers said the numbers reflect strong investor confidence in the NCR’s largest commercial and residential hub.
Gurugram RERA registered 131 projects in calendar year 2025, representing development potential of 35,455 units across housing and commercial segments.
A striking feature of the data was the dominance of large-ticket projects. Just 28 major developments accounted for investments worth Rs 59,360 crore, highlighting the growing influence of institutional capital and large developers in shaping Gurugram’s property market.
Residential assets continued to attract the bulk of investment interest. Of the total units approved, 31,455 were residential, underscoring sustained end-user demand and long-term confidence in the city’s housing fundamentals.
According to Authority data, the residential mix included 17,405 group housing units, 5,720 mixed land use units, 4,040 residential floor units, 2,122 affordable group housing units, 1,954 units under the Deen Dayal housing scheme, and 214 residential plotted colony units.
Market observers said this diversified supply pipeline indicates capital deployment across both premium and mass segments, helping reduce concentration risk and deepen market resilience.
On the commercial side, Gurugram RERA approved about 4,000 commercial units, of which 168 were dedicated to IT parks, reinforcing Gurugram’s position as a preferred hub for technology firms and Global Capability Centres.
Analysts noted that the combination of office-led employment growth and residential expansion continues to make Gurugram attractive for long-term capital deployment.
Industry experts said the scale of investments approved in 2025 highlights Gurugram’s ability to attract capital despite global uncertainty, supported by infrastructure growth, a strong corporate base and an improving regulatory environment.
“With a large pipeline of approved projects and sustained interest from developers and institutional investors, Gurugram is expected to remain a key real estate investment destination in the coming years,” a Gurugram-based real estate expert said.
Tighter regulatory checks
Alongside rising investments, Gurugram RERA strengthened regulatory oversight to enhance transparency and safeguard homebuyer and investor interests.
“These steps included stricter scrutiny of developer submissions, mandatory site inspections by domain experts, and public consultation through mandatory notices before project registration,” an Authority official said.
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January 16, 2026, 07:44 IST
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National Startup Day highlights India’s thriving startup ecosystem, celebrating innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation driven by founders, unicorns and Startup India mission
National Startup Day 2026 honours Indian startups, entrepreneurs and innovators driving economic growth and job creation.
National Startup Day 2026: India’s startup ecosystem has evolved into one of the world’s most vibrant and promising innovation hubs. To recognise the contribution of entrepreneurs, founders and startups transforming ideas into impactful solutions, National Startup Day is observed every year on January 16 across the country.
Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2022, the day celebrates visionary entrepreneurs who play a crucial role in economic growth, employment generation and technological advancement.
National Startup Day serves as a reminder that innovation, backed by determination and policy support, can reshape society and create global impact.
National Startup Day 2026 Theme
The official theme for National Startup Day 2026 is yet to be announced. However, the core focus areas are expected to revolve around:
- Innovation and emerging technologies
- Entrepreneurship and leadership
- Self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat)
- Startup India Mission
- Youth empowerment
- Job creation
How Startups Are Shaping India’s Future
India currently ranks as the third-largest startup ecosystem globally, with over 1.59 lakh startups recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) as of early 2025. Backed by 100+ unicorns, the ecosystem continues to grow rapidly.
Metro cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi-NCR lead this expansion, while Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities are emerging as new innovation centres, adding diversity and scale to India’s entrepreneurial journey.
Startups across fintech, edtech, health-tech, e-commerce and deep-tech are addressing real-world challenges and gaining global recognition. Technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain and IoT are increasingly driving innovation, according to Startup India ecosystem reports.
Industry-Wise Startup Impact
DPIIT-recognised startups have generated over 16.6 lakh direct jobs across sectors as of October 31, 2024, strengthening India’s employment landscape.
- IT Services: 2.04 lakh jobs
- Healthcare & Life Sciences: 1.47 lakh jobs
- Commercial & Professional Services: 94,000 jobs
Through the Startup India initiative, the government continues to focus on skill development, funding access, ecosystem collaboration and global outreach.
Key Initiatives Under Startup India
- Capacity building and mentorship
- Outreach and awareness programmes
- Ecosystem development events
- International exposure and global linkages
- Collaboration between startups, corporates and institutions.
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January 16, 2026, 07:00 IST
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Canada Goose reshuffles leadership to drive global growth
Those with MGNREGA cards to get work during transition to G RAM G Act – The Times of India
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